The present invention relates to a component mounted in an external housing of an electronic apparatus and, in particular, to a user accessible connector that is engageable with the apparatus printed circuit board (PCB) and aligned using a guide pin.
In electronic devices, in particular cellular phones, there are connectors mounted in the apparatus external housing that require both customer access and electrical contact to the apparatus PCB. The connection to the PCB must be accomplished reliably to ensure consistent and accurate electrical contact and to prevent shorting of the connector. This contact must also be accomplished in a manner that is cost effective and is suitable for large scale manufacturing, while minimizing use of valuable PCB area. The complexity of this problem is increased with the tolerance accumulations associated with an apparatus including a PCB mounted rigidly to one half of the apparatus housing and the connector secured in the other half of the apparatus housing.
There are several known methods to arrange such a connector in an electronic apparatus. One way is to solder the connector directly to the apparatus PCB. With this connection, the relationship between the PCB and the exterior surface is critical. Because the connector must be accessible by the user, the PCB surface must be relatively close to an external surface of the apparatus. Also with this arrangement, a large amount of valuable PCB space is occupied.
Another arrangement mounts the connector to an interior frame or shield, and the connector is cabled back to the PCB. Cabling is accomplished with either a flex cable or discrete wires. In this arrangement, however, additional costs are required for the cable itself and for a compatible connection on the PCB. Moreover, this arrangement is difficult to assemble.
In still another arrangement, a connector is mounted into the exterior housing and includes spring fingers or contacts that make contact to the apparatus PCB. This solution is effective in that it is mounted above the PCB in an area that is generally available for use (e.g., behind the battery) and thus, it does not occupy valuable PCB space. Moreover, there is no additional cost for a cable or suitable connector on the PCB to attach the cable since the spring contacts make electrical connection directly to contact pads on the PCB. Still further, the apparatus can be assembled in a "blind mate" condition, which reduces manufacturing costs.
A problem arises with this arrangement, however, with respect to tolerances. It is difficult to ensure that a connector, which is rigidly mounted in one-half of the housing, will always make reliable contact with the apparatus PCB, which may be rigidly mounted in the other half of the housing. Of course, one way to overcome the tolerance issues is to make larger components, such that the contacts can be spaced farther apart, and the pads on the PCB can be made larger. Such a design, however, is inconsistent with miniaturization goals.